this post was submitted on 12 Aug 2024
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Horses can plan ahead and think strategically, scientists find (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 year ago by BrikoX@lemmy.zip to c/interestingshare@lemmy.zip
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being ‘goal-directed’

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[–] No1@aussie.zone 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Everything is goal directed right up to the...

REEEEEEEEEE! HOLY FUCK WHAT WAS THAT LITTLE NOISE OR MOVEMENT? RUNAWAY! RUNAWAY! RUNAWAY!

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You fool! You absolute buffoon! That horse has been twelve steps ahead of you the entire time! The freakout was staged and part of its master plan!

[–] No1@aussie.zone 4 points 1 year ago

Goddamit!

Tricksy horsesses!

[–] Maalus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

The master plan being to kick you in the balls

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 year ago

To be fair, that describes me having a panic attack when my plans fall apart.

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If they are goal directed they are more sapient than I am.

[–] lolrightythen@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I was just thinking something similar. Perhaps envy.

Stupid horses knowing what they want and working towards it.

[–] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

but, famously, they never proceed directly towards their goal. they always take one step to the side after two steps forward.

[–] therealjcdenton@lemmy.zip 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How did you conduct this study? Play chess with a horse?

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Horse did a en passant and the researcher got mad

[–] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It then farted while running away, kicking.

[–] Tabula_stercore@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Then, when it slowed down to a pace, it ate a chick

[–] atlas@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

Holy hell

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So a horse could plan and act out a murder?

[–] PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago

No, but they could plan and act out a greater European conflict.

[–] whenthebigonefinallyhitsla@kbin.run 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it looks like somebody in this story doesn't understand the difference between strategy and tactics, which definitely seems like quite an important distinction in this case

[–] tastysnacks@programming.dev 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why is that important? If you want to separate the two, the strategy is obvious.

[–] whenthebigonefinallyhitsla@kbin.run 1 points 1 year ago

thinking tactically is short term, thinking strategically is long-term, especially with the "plan ahead" in the title

nothing about the test described in the article implies that horses are capable of doing that though